996 to 997, a step or a leap?

[obzi]

You know how it starts, your in the showroom collecting from a service and those 997's just look so so good.

Here's the story, i'm currently driving a 996 C4s which i'm happy with but in 2 months i might be able to afford a new 997.

I still think mines the better looking car but there's little niggles and the chance to have a nice shiney new one would be nice, the choice of a 997, the S or the 4S is a difficult one.

I'm very interested if anyones gone from a 996 particulally a 4s to a 997 and how big a leap it is in particulally handling and living with it on a day to day basis. I just can't push myself into a test drive untill i'm a little nearer to this happening or i'll end up putting it on finance!



Opinions please, and forgetting the money if possible, would you rather have a 997, S or a 4S?

Buying a car for the wife is so much easier than this.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 120042

 

[Porsche]

from all accounts the 996 to 997 was more of an upgrade step, where as 993 to 996 was a a major evolution



2wd S v 4wd S, they both drive differently thus you need to be happy with the feel

2wd S gets more boot space but the same performance

4wd has even wider hips




Migration info. Legacy thread was 120053

 

[Jamie_G]

i started seriously thinking about 911 ownership during the 996 era and the C4S was the obvious choice for me mainly due to looks. this year i finally decided to buy and set my heart on new / nearly new therefore 997. i know very little about cars under the bonnet and other mechanical issues therefore i canvassed the views of many people, mainly on this seat and the conclusion was that the C2S was the only choice and the jewel of the 997 range. I conducted some research on 2S and 4S depreication with my specialists and the C2S stacked up better in that respect from new/over the medium term.

Here is the thread that helped me choose which model and options.

http://www.911uk.com/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=36&TopicID=10201&PagePosition=1

Migration info. Legacy thread was 120056

 

[obzi]

I sometimes feel i'm taking a lot of weight into the corners with the 4s, the downside of all that 4wd mechanics i suppose.

I did a little experimenting during this last few days of snow to see how the weight was producing understeer on a very small roundabout close to where i live, it's very tight and i've been caught out the odd time in the wet even at very low speeds.

The certain speeds weight seems to just about balance out any extra grip the 4wd gives you (although i do need a new set of tyres about now), i'd love to have a S just for s few days to compare, the test drives don't tell me a lot.

I'm toying with the idea of a 2-3day rental, it may cost me a few hundred pounds but save me more from making a wrong decision.

I could just sell the wife and kids then maybe i could afford a Turbo!


Migration info. Legacy thread was 120187

 

[asim hassan]

I have owned a 996 c2 and now have a 996 c4

IMO the 4 offers more security and allows for using the power when the road is not straight i.e pulling out of junctions and through roundabouts. It makes the 4 faster in everday driving.

Can anyone confirm if the peddle layout is slightly different, I found it easier to heel/toe in the c2 but in the c4 the brake pedal is too far rearward?


Migration info. Legacy thread was 120236

 

[Stuart Martin]

Quote: I could just sell the wife and kids then maybe i could afford a Turbo!

That's the spirit!

Realistically the 997 is an evolution. There is a bit more power, a bit more torque, a bit more weight, a bit wider stance, a different seat, some different lights, a bit of styling.
The main difference is the adaptive dampers.
How good these are, I'm not sure. If you are happy with the 6 C4S, then don't change. You'll take a good financial hit and not gain very much.
Personally I prefer the 996 interior.

Now if you were to change from 6 C4S to 6 TT, then that would be worth considering. But only if you want more performance.

You can extend the warranty on the C4S to 9 years and upto 120K miles I think, so there are not worries to drive it for a long time.

There is little rational reason to change, but I'm not sure that has much to do with it.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 120250

 

[alan sweeney]

Hi,

Owned my C4S for 11 months now absolutely going to keep it for some time for several reasons which came apparent yesterday!

However I have driven the 997 C4S and been taken for a drive in it. For the extra money there is no real signifiant performance gain. The same track driver then took my 6 4S out on the same roads and there was minimal difference in how the 7 4S handled at the same insane speeds. Yes there is more power but you have to be a competent driver to unleash it. If it is more power you want then a GT3 is the way to go.

Regards Alan.


Migration info. Legacy thread was 120335

 

[Parts]

I would say the difference between my 2001 3.4 and the 997 C2S or C4S is quite a step. Lots of extra performance and better suspension and chasis. But not such a difference from 996 4S to 997 4S, well certainly not enough to get me to spend the money involved.

Migration info. Legacy thread was 120486